Herbs and Shortbread…Rosemary and Lavender – Really?

I’ve grown rosemary and lavender for several years but until recently have only used the rosemary in culinary ways. The lavender plant is so beautiful when it’s in bloom and though I’ve always wanted to cut some for use in making sachets for holiday gifts or just bunches to hang in the house;  it never happened. Mostly because I hated to cut that beautiful plant which also was so impressive off the patio and next to my little pond.

So, two years ago I planted a half dozen additional lavender plants and this year I finally had such an abundance of both herbs I didn’t think twice about cutting for whatever I could imagine!

I love rosemary for foccacia bread and a simple recipe for  Rosemary Couscous. But I have to admit, I had seldom thought of using lavender in the preparation of food; limiting lavender to that scent that I do believe I can categorize as my favorite! But that’s all changed when I took a risk or two this year and do not regret it..quite the contrary. My first use was with a Lemon Pizza a couple of months ago (I did harvest a bit of the flowers last year and had just gotten to my last little bunch for this recipe!).

Then I recently decided to try the same combination of lemon and lavender in a Lavender Lemonade Martini. So easy, so refreshing and I think…just beautiful!

I actually thought I was done…but a little bit of rosemary changed EVERYTHING! One of the food bloggers that I’ve met on Twitter, Brian at A Thought for Food tweeted a post about Rosemary Shortbread from Saveur. Really? It sounded…I don’t know, not bad, not good, but unique and did combine two things I love; rosemary and shortbread and I was intrigued. I LOVE rosemary and well, who doesn’t love shortbread so I decided I had to try it.

AMAZING. I mean it’s even dusted with powdered sugar and I kept thinking…this can’t be right; an herb I normally would use in savory dishes in a cookie with powdered sugar on top…but it is amazing.  Somehow my brain took that leap of faith and thought…why not lavender shortbread cookies? Probably a bit more predictable to have a lavender in a cookie but it was a great combination too and now I’ve found my holiday gifts early. I always make huge baskets of goodies for friends and family for the holidays. This year I already know I have to cut back on the time I devote to that endeavor while continuing therapy for a leg injury so I’m looking forward to giving recipients something new, unique and delicious!

The Rosemary Shortbread was so good, I decided to go a step further and give Lavender Shortbread a try. I heard from a couple of friends on Twitter who said they loved lavender shortbread  and I figured why not? I did add a bit of lemon but didn’t want another real lavender lemon flavor so it was a flavor component but not a pronounced flavor. As a matter of fact the lavender is really subtle but it has to be; neither I nor anyone else wants to eat something that tastes like their body wash!

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Friday, July 9, 2010

Recipe: Rosemary Shortbread

Last weekend Eric and I spent the holiday with my family in the Berkshires.  It was a fantastic trip, filled with lots of food, laughter, games… and a memorable experience seeing James Taylor and Carole King perform at Tanglewood.  It was a rare occasion where the six of us (including my bro-in-law and Eric) were able to vacation together and we enjoyed every minute of it.

We returned home, after picking our pup up from the Cape where she spent the weekend with Eric’s father, and got our lives sorted. While I worked on the laundry, he went out front to check on his garden.  It had grown significantly since the last time we’d seen it, though it was definitely in need of a good watering.

Some of the herbs were begging to be harvested, so I suggested to Eric that he gather some for me to use.  He came in with a large handful of very aromatic rosemary.  It’s been easy for us to find ways to include basil or parsley in a dish… but rosemary has been a bit more challenging to get through.

It’s not that I don’t enjoy it.  In fact, I’m a huge fan of rosemary.  Eric tends to use it when he’s cooking lamb, while I include it when preparing roasted salmon and vegetables.  It’s also fantastic in soups and stews.  What some of you might not know about (I didn’t until I did research for this post) are the many health benefits of rosemary.  It’s high in antioxidants and contains iron and fiber.  Woo hoo!

But I’ve been having a problem finding ways to get through the large pile of it that we have in our possession. And, more importantly, how to use it creatively.

Which brings me to what I actually did with the rosemary.  As I mentioned earlier, I enjoy including rosemary in savory dishes… roasting potatoes or grilling a piece of swordfish.  So I decided that I’d do something a little different and began to search for a dessert that called for it.  When I came across a recipe for rosemary shortbread, I knew it would be perfect.

And boy was it! But, really, what isn’t good when you put a pound of butter in it?   By no means should this scare you from making these, but I think it’s a good idea to have some people to share them with.  I’m a fan of giving my coworkers a container of the baked goods I prepare.  That’s just a suggestion, of course.

Rosemary Shortbread

(from Saveur)

Ingredients

4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup minced fresh rosemary leaves
1 lb. cold butter
Confectioners’ sugar

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375°. Combine 4 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, and 1/4 cup minced fresh rosemary leaves in a large mixing bowl.

2. Using a pastry cutter or 2 knives, work 1 lb. of cold butter, cut into small pieces, into flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal, then transfer to a large baking pan. 

3. Spread dough evenly in pan using your hand, then gently press down to firm the dough and smooth its surface. Mark around the edges and lightly in the center with the tines of a fork. Bake until pale golden, 20–30 minutes, rotating pan 180 degrees halfway through the cooking time.

4. Remove from oven and use a sharp knife to score warm shortbread into diamonds or squares. Set aside to let cool, then dust with confectioners’ sugar.

Tagged as: cookies, herbs, lavender, recipe, rosemary, shortbread